A Death In Glasgow is a good dark police procedural with touches of black humour. The titular death takes place in Glasgow's Central Station and is initially thought to be a suicide. But local beat Sergeant May Mackay thinks otherwise, knowing the dead girl's ex to be local drug dealer. He, and his crew, are the obvious suspects, and May puts herself in the firing line by investigating. There are twists along the way and the eventual revelations are shocking.

The novel is gritty and well written, and the sense of place is strong. The good and bad of Glasgow is on display giving the narrative a sense of realism. May is a strong lead character, driven by a need for justice and haunted by her own daughter's suicide. This could be the start of a series, with some interesting supporting characters within May's team that have scope for development.

This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. A gritty police procedural based in the streets of Glasgow. It concentrates on the uniformed officers rather than detectives as many books do. The main character May Mackay is a sergeant trying to cope with her job and her sorrow after the suicide of her teenage daughter. The storyline was compelling and multi faceted. There were plenty of opportunities to 'guess the bad guy' which I did, but not until quite near the end. The ending was worth waiting for. It was an exciting conclusion to what had been a good read. I believe this may be the first in a series. If so I'll definitely be looking out for the next one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

The minute I received this book I had it open . The book cover pulled me in . So glad I picked this one up when I did . Firstly I love it is set in Glasgow where I am from . The characters were bold and fearsome.
Although this is a book you can actually imagine the story more as you feel you have a connection with the characters as they are relatable more so when taking about some of the people who live in Glasgow. You can imagine the some of the circumstances these characters are in .
I think this is a brilliant debut novel and hoping there will be a book 2 .

A gritty read that I initially thought might be too dark for me but the characters started to come to life and the plot developed. May is a great character and there is humour amongst the darkness. A good read

A Death in Glasgow by Eva Macrae is about...well, I think the title can help you with that one, you don't need me.

The death in question is that of Holly Campbell, whose body is found on the tracks at Glasgow Central station. From the wrong side of town, born into the wrong family and with a history of mental health issues, her death is quickly ruled a suicide and Sergeant May Mackay is told to move on. However, when May discovers that Holly had bought a return ticket, she begins to dig a little deeper and discovers that everything might not be quite as it seems.

Firstly, I love when books are set in places which I know well. There is something so magical about being able to picture every street being walked down and every shop being mentioned. What I also love about books like this is that they aren't all car chases or gun shoot outs just plain, honest, police procedures like interviews, CCTV. I think this gives it a sense of realism so sadly missing from other novels which prioritise more thrilling elements to keep the reader hooked. Not that I don't enjoy those types of novels and they definitely have their place, I just find these more realistic and gripping.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone | Century for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is a somewhat stylistically awkward police-procedural novel with a lot of backstory that feels not entirely relevant to the plot. A great deal of rather clunky rhetoric on police procedure further slows down the narrative, making this reader at least wonder why the author doesn't focus more on developing the storyline — the case of a suspected suicide which is the crux of the plot — which, surely, would engage the reader better and encourage them to want to keep turning the pages.

There are a lot of characters, none of them very likeable. In writing terms they feel like hollow shells with the author declining to delve into their inner lives to reveal how and what they think. It's hard to invoke any empathy for characters that are this one-dimensional.

The book blurb promises more than the plot delivers in reality. Another disappointing read, sadly. It's a trend that appears to curse 21st century publishing, unfortunately — in the opinion of this reader at least.

Many thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley for the ARC.

A solid read. Nothing spectacular for me but I really enjoyed it and have a few friends that I know would love it!

A good book to read following the personal journey as well as the mystery around the death. Keeps you well hooked in.

When a young woman appears to commit suicide on the Glasgow train tracks her death is considered self inflicted by the transport police as she has attempted suicide before. However, her mother does not believe this verdict and appeals to Sgt May Mackay, who is more considerate in her dealings with the woman as she has also lost a daughter to suicide. As May and Dimple from the transport police investigate, May finds her own life is in danger and not everything is as it seems.
This is a well written book with a good level of intrigue and enough development to keep the plot moving. However, I was disappointed to have worked out fairly early the direction it was going in as I would like to have lived in the story a bit longer, as I enjoyed the character of May and her interactions with her colleagues and husband.
I've not read other books by this author but certainly would give them a go.
With thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

I have read other books by this author writing as Lynne McEwan and enjoyed them. This one is a decent enough story bu reading other reviews, a lot of people worked out whodunnit. I did at 57% read. I would certainly read more of this series as I am Glaswegian and enjoyed the tour around Glasgow. May is a great character, totally believable. As a proofreader, I did notice lots of issues but I am aware that the ARC from NetGalley is unproofed. An irritation but not enough to stop reading! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers.

A Death in Glasgow was obviously written by someone who really understands the realities of investigating sudden deaths and the toll such experiences can take on those involved. May’s tenacity and determination and the anguish of the families gave this detective novel a refreshingly realistic approach to the investigation of a young girl’s death. I will be looking for more novels from Eva Macrae.

The discovery of a young woman's body on the Glasgow train tracks is written off as suicide by the police - perhaps not a strange conclusion, since she has attempted that before.

But Holly's mother refuses to believe it. And so, when the case comes to a certain police officer, May herself is also determined to discover the truth. Except that that could put her own life in danger as well...

Entertaining and well delivered, this one is worth checking out for those who like crime thrillers. It gets 3.5 stars

Holly Campbell is running for her life. There is someone in hot pursuit, but she can get away if she can catch the next train home. Only she is pushed onto the tracks and killed. The British transport police immediately put it down to suicide and inform her mother Jackie McNally. Jackie however is not convinced. There is her abusive ex-boyfriend, Scott who she is certain murdered her. When Sergeant May MacKay is notified that she is kicking off at the front desk. She begins to think the mother could be onto something. There is a return ticket in Holly’s pocket.

This is a fast-paced murder mystery novel which delves into the black market of intimidation, drug dealing and racketeering. Jackie’s family seem to own everything and everyone in Glasgow and with this in mind it isn’t any wonder that May and DC Dimple Sharma are unable to penetrate the community let alone see how it links to Holly’s murder.

Macrae’s use of dialect and characterisation are superb. There is a real sense that these could be your neighbours on a housing estate in Glasgow. It is this realism that contributed to my enjoyment as I tackled the red herrings and ultimately solved the crime. A worthy read.

Thank you NetGalley and ARC for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication.

A compelling, amazing mystery story starting off with the death of Holly- was it suicide or was she murdered. It revolves around some gangland members and police who are not as they seem! Will definitely look for more of Eva’s novels- addictive and well written!

Holly Campbell will escape her pursuer if she can catch the train home. Holly, the stalker and the train arrive together. Holly doesn’t survive the meeting. The death, at platform nine in Glasgow’s Central Station, is initially classed as a suicide by the British Transport Police (BTP), a national force separate from Police Scotland (PS) but with the same powers. Crimes on the Railways are under their jurisdiction and normally PS would not be involved. However, Holly’s mother refuses to believe the suicide story and persuades Sergeant May Mackay to take a look at the case. She liaises with DC Dimple Sharma of the BTP and the pair, despite reluctance from their superiors, soon reveal a connection to the McNally’s (the main organised crime group in the Glasgow area), and a disgruntled, drug dealing, ex-boyfriend who works for the latter. The duo must now establish how the connection led to the murder.
This is unequivocally a police procedural and is a good example of the genre. May is a solid character whose own daughter had died from suicide. It is hard to avoid seeing a similarity to Sergeant Catherine Cawood from the TV series “Happy Valley” (she was the image I had while reading). Dimple is an interesting and believable character, clearly growing with her experience on this case – which is a very rare type for BTP investigations. Descriptions of the background, i.e. Glasgow, Loud and Proud, are evocative and contribute strongly to the story. The plot has some minor twists, but I solved the mystery pretty easily so wasn’t as invested as I would have liked. I’m giving it 4 stars because I can’t give fractions.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

My thanks to Eva and Netgalley for allowing me to read A Death in Glasgow in advance of the publication date.
It is a well written story in which the author is quick to set the tension as she describes how a scared, tipsy young woman navigates the long stairs into the concourse of Glasgow Central Station with the forlorn hope that she will find safety with the station staff or a group which she can seek to connect with until her train arrives.
When Holly Campbell dies on the rail tracks of Glasgow Central Station, BTP are quick to conclude that she committed suicide.
Her distraught mother, Jackie McNally, does not agree. She arrives at Cathcart Police Office where she talks to Sgt. May MacKay, a woman who knows from personal experience, how a suicide impacts on the family.
Glasgow Central is not in May’s area and her line manager, Inspector Mark Ward, does not want her to get involved. However May is not to be deterred.
There are plenty of red herrings and surprises as details of Jackie’s relatives are revealed.

I received a digital ARC of this police procedural from the publishers, Random House, via NetGalley and was very pleased to have the chance to familiarise myself with Macrae’s work. From the start, this is a hard-hitting contemporary thriller, starting with a young student’s apparent suicide at Glasgow Railway Station. The grieving parent contacts Sergeant May Mackay with a plea to investigate, not knowing that Mackay herself is in mourning. The deceased student’s life experiences, which include addiction and a relationship with a well-known criminal, soon widen the scope of May’s investigations. May’s husband Tam and DC Dimple Sharma from the Transport Police complete the round-up of well-sketched, entirely believable characters who drive this novel forward. May’s investigation into Glasgow’s criminal world gets murkier, grittier and more dangerous as the novel proceeds, and at times it is hard to believe that the world Macrae creates exists on the page only. Highly recommended for readers looking for a well-crafted, if gritty, contemporary thriller. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for the free ARC that allowed me to produce this review.

4 - 5 stars

A dangerous pursuit and a death on the tracks at Glasgow Central Station. Suicide, accident or??? The victim is student Holly Campbell and her distraught mother Jackie McNally appeals for help to Sergeant May Mackay, stressing her daughter would not commit suicide. May totally understands Jackie’s feelings as she is a grieving mother herself. Jackie pleads with May and she agrees to do what she can because there’s one item in Holly’s possessions that gives her pause for thought and look into it she will, whatever her boss orders. With the help of DC Dimple Sharma from the British Transport Police she begins an investigation which will take her down a very dangerous and sinister path.

This has a breathtaking and tense start which hooks me into the storytelling most effectively. I really like the characters of May and Dimple and a good respectful relationship develops between the two. May has a very interesting background, she has her issues especially her grief which she carries as well as she can. If anything, it makes her more focused with a great determination to pursue the truth. She has a really good partner in Tam who is a good foil for her and grounds her. I grow to admire May’s empathy and her persistence in getting things done as she goes the extra mile. There’s good banter and dynamics between the police team with a good sprinkling of humorous nicknames which raises a smile amongst the dark and gritty.

The novel is rich in atmosphere, an atmosphere unique to Glasgow not least witnessed among the ‘neds’ she interviews to get to the truth and in the dialogue.

I particularly like how the plot starts as a one way enquiry but the deeper it goes it becomes obvious this is about as far from that as it gets. It gets darker and grittier and way more dangerous than May ever anticipates. It’s moving in places, there’s tension and suspense as May navigates all kinds of dirty dealings and downright evil, a multitude of lies and deception until the shocking truth reveals itself. The pace is fast and it holds my interest throughout with plenty of action to keep me gripped.

Overall, I really enjoy this police procedural and hope to meet May and Dimple again in the future.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Cornerstone for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, very fast paced & gripping from the beginning. Phenomenal twist at the end, highly recommend

This book is quite simply superb. I enjoyed it so much that I couldn't put it down and I read it in one sitting.

The writing is so descriptive that I felt I was working alongside May and the other Glasgow police officers in their quest to uncover the identity of the person who murdered Holly..

The book is littered with red herrings to keep you guessing. Hope this isn't the last we've heard from May and the team.